Ambition: A guide for mudbloods
by Emperor Caligula the terrible
Summary: Sally-Anne Perks is a muggleborn new to the wonders of the wizarding world. Born to rich parents who know the meaning of pragmatic and cynical thinking, she has been taught well and knows the meaning of success and what it means to get there. With a new world, new challenges, and new prejudice to overcome, will she succeed is the big question.
1. Genesis to crazy

**Disclaimer: **_Did muggleborns not wander about the stranger that confirmed the odd life events but insisted on taking them away to some unknown location to study for 10 months out of a year with very little information given and removed their possible futures effectively. Even so, i don't own the harry potter books. That right goes to JK Rowling, Warner bros and whoever had the money to buy them and did._

* * *

**MANSION OF PERKS**

A splash of water could be heard echoing through the grounds of the mansion as the tall athletic girl with salt and pepper hair that fell to her mid back dived into the swimming pool. Dressed in a full body swimming suit, the girl expertly swam from the shallow end to the deep end without surfacing, only doing so when she reached the other end. The girl swam lazily back to the shallow end, almost 30 meters back. Swimming was very easy for her, one of the many athletic activities that she often did in her free time.

Sally-Anne Perks was a girl who liked to exercise, especially in the outdoors, mostly jogging to keep herself fit and with a lithe body especially now that she was becoming a teenager. After finishing five circuits of the pool, Sally was resting briefly on the wall of the pool's shallow end when she noticed one of her family's butler's coming towards the pool. His name was Francis, the worker with the most responsibility in the Perks mansion including a cheuffeur when driving my parents or me was an inconvenience to them. Sally had an amicable relationship with him as he was the oldest of workers in the mansion and watched over her as she grew up into this beautiful preteen. Francis came to her and stood a few feet away from the pool. She wondered what she was needed for as she looked at him curiously with her head cocked to one side.

" You have a guest who wishes to speak to you Sally. " She raised an eyebrow curiously. She didn't have any friends who would want to visit her. Her introverted nature and odd occurances that occasionally plagued her took care of that. And her parents would have asked for her if they wished for her to meet one of their associates, so this was intriguing.

" Who would want to see me ? " She asked in bemusement. Francis replied with a shrug and small smile.

" I don't know myself. Some strange woman in old fashioned clothes. Your mother wasn't expecting any visitors today and she doesn't seem know her, she merely asked for you. She is seated in the sitting room with her waiting for you. " He replied to her, giving her a towel he was carrying to dry herself of. She got up from the pool walking towards the mansion's sliding back doors. She was curious as to why a stranger would come to their home. And even more curious as to why she was allowed to enter.

Sally and Francis parted and she branched of to go to her room to make herself more presentable with appropriate clothes for meeting people. One of the many things that her parents instilled in her is that appearance is important. She pushed the door of her room and entered. It was very spacious with a queen sized four poster bed on the right wall, indigo sheets and a dark green duvet neatly organised on a thick comfortable mattress and a midnight blue canopy. A desk besides the bed with neatly polished dark brown wood with a few books and a book shelf near it on the wall filled with her choice books that she liked to read taken from the family library. There was also a door on the left side leading to her personal bathroom and toilet. On the floor was a green plush carpet and the walls had a navy blue wall paper. The right wall also had a door to a walk in closet with her very many clothes including dresses, skirts, jeans, shirts, blouses and sweaters of all colours, some of which she would never wear. On the opposite wall was a large sliding door that led to a large balcony. Sally-Anne Perks was a very rich and privelaged young girl, but far from pampered, she had to earn her keep to get what she wanted.

She decided to go simple for today. A dark blue knee length skirt and black T-shirt with long sleeves. She pulled her damp hair into a high tight pony tail, her usual style and left it at that. Once again, Sally wondered what this woman would want with her. More over an old one in old fashion clothes. Well, she walked to the large sitting room and went to get this meeting over with. She had a new novel she wanted done with and summarised.

* * *

Minerva McGonagall suddenly appeared in the high class section of Chelsea London and took a look around her surroundings. The place was populated with huge mansions with large compounds and fences with barbed wires charge with that lightning like stuff. It looked like this particular muggleborn was quite rich and well cared for. The compounds were not as big as those of the rich old pureblood families but was close enough for these particular muggles to be wealthy. Minerva hoped the parents and child would not give her any issues. For all the prejudice of the purebloods being better than muggles, they are both equally quite the headaches if they are rich and snobbish.

She looked at the address on the Hogwarts envelope and walked towards the end of the walkway. Minerva grudgingly admitted that the muggles know how to take care of there homes if they are rich with enough money to throw away. The muggle cars that were being driven around looked quite expensive. Though the road looked slightly deserted as it was a Saturday morning with a few jogging and fewer cars driving on it.

The professor had been to such neighbourhoods before, though they were quite few. The muggleborns are mostly middle or low income class and very rarely come one from a rich family. In fact it had been years since one came from such a family. She mentally catalogued what to say and how to talk to these people. Some of the muggles had very extreme reactions to these announcements of their children having magic that more often than not need an oblviate and compulsion charms for their co-operation. While the ministry turns a blind eye in these proceedings, Minerva doesn't like exercising her power on the non magical population.

The woman stopped and stood in front of what looked like the largest of all mansions in the neighborhood. The fence was live with tall hedges . There was a tarmarced walkway to the tall black wrought iron gate. She walked towards the gate while observing her surroundings. The part of the fence near the gate was rid brick and on top of it was one of those muggle machines that resembled a camera, but was moving, following her movements pointing the lens towards her. When she reached the gate, there was a muscled man on the other side of the gate bars standing with crossed arms and dark shades shielding his eyes. He was wearing a black muggle suit and pants.

"State your business her ma'am. The family is not expecting guests today ". The man rumbled without so much as a greeting. Minerva frowned at the attitude.

" I am Minerva McGonagall. I am a professor in a prestigious secondary school, and i have come to offer Sally-Anne Perks a place in this school ". She said to the person. The man looked at her before turning around and walking to the house in the distance. Minerva stood for some moments waiting. Soon the man came back with another man in a similar suit and white gloves and slightly thinner han the first one. The first one unlocked a smaller gate and let her inside.

"Good morning ma'am, my name is Francis, and I'm the main butler of the Perks family mansion. Please come this way." The second man said courteously. He walked towards the large house with Minerva following and continued talking to her.

"The lord of the house is away in the USA on a business trip. The lady of the house and her daughter are here. Mrs Perks allowed you to enter as she wishes to know what you have to say of this school of yours ". He said and led her through the front glass sliding doors to what looked like an entrance hall. The compound was well taken care of and she saw some people cutting down some hedges. The inside was very tastefully decorated. The walls were painted a delicate light blue and the floors were made of dark gray tiles and a white ceiling. There was also a large crystal chandelier with those beautiful muggle lights. Along the walls were portraits and pictures. A married couple's wedding day, a young woman with blonde hair, a girl who looked like the woman except with salt and pepper hair, a man with jet black hair olive skin and many other pictures. Some of the portraits had paintings, some with signitures on the bottom left. A beautiful woman, a group of half naked men in battle armour fighting like barbarians. A grup of girls with bows and arrows in a forested mountain. All the paintings were of very good quality, very expensive. The butler led her to an open door in the hall and led her inside.

The sitting room was also arranged to show wealth. There were a number of small and large couches with small glass tables near them. Their was also a large glass table in the middle with a few books on it. Novels maybe. There was a fireplace in the left wall of the room, a large muggle machine, a television on the right wall and a large glass sliding door that led to a porch looking into the front grounds. There was a woman seated on one of the couches facing the television. She turned and watched when Minerva entered the room with the butler. She gestured for the professor to sit down on one of the couches facing her and told the butler to bring for them some tea.

The woman bore a remarkable resemblance to Narcissa Malfoy. She had platinum blonde hair and porcelain pale skin, a slim figure and sea green almond shaped eyes. She was wearing a bath robe. " Good morning ma'am, i am Cassandra Lenoir Perks. The lady of this house, how do you do ? ". She had a cultured slightly french accent in her cool neutral voice.

" Good morning. I am Minerva McGonagall, a professor in a secondary school in Scotland. I have come to your home to offer your daughter, Sally-Anne Perks an admission to the school because she has the requirements needed." Mrs Perks frowned in thought.

" My daughter is intelligent,yes but i already applied her to a prestigious boarding school in London. Which school of yours is this ? And tell me about it to convince me to tet my daughter enroll in it ? " She asked McGonagall. She started her dialogue.

" You daughter has the necessary qualifications that would automatically get her a place. " She said carefully. " Have you noticed odd events happen around your daughter, happenings that defy the laws of physics or even logic ? " She asked the woman cautiously. Mrs Perks narrowed her eyes at McGonagall and didn't move. Then, slowly, she nodded.

" Yes. Sometimes odd events would happen around my daughter. How is that connected to this school of yours ? " She asked Minerva quitely.

" This school is what can help your daughter to control those abilities. It is called Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry. I think we should call your daughter, she will better understand what am talking about since it is about her. "The woman looked at her with a neutral expression with her arms crossed. Minerva wondered if the woman believed her. Not being the one with magic, she wouldn't be witness to events of accidental magic and her face showed no emotion to tell how to continue.

The butler came back into the room with a tea set and tray. He set the tray on the large glass table and asked for their preferences. After the two women told him and he made and gave the respective women their tea, he turned to leave the room.

" Francis, go to Sally-Anne at the swimming pool. Tell her we have a guest who wishes to see her. " Mrs Perks told the man. He nodded in confirmation and bowed out of the room. She looked back at Minerva.

" There are a lot of holes in your explanation that i want to know. You will have to explain more thouroughly. I will not send my daughter to something i know next to nothing about. Understood ". Minerva nodded and wondered what more that she wanted to know. Her daughter had special abilities, and this is a school that will let her control them.

The woman smiled at her, though it didn't reach her eyes which remained cool and emotionless. She acted like some of the purebloods in the wizarding world with a bit of less disdain and condensation, though it was there. She then turned to the big television and looked at it with concentration, completely ignoring the older woman.

Minerva sat there looking around and wondered what to do. She decided to wait for the muggleborn while taking her tea. The younger woman didn't look like she was going to look away from the television muggle machine.

* * *

Sally-Anne waled to the sitting room door and knocked on it. It was never polite to suddenly drop into a conversation. One had to politely ask. " Come in " Her mother's cultured voice called from inside the open door and she walked into the room.

The visitor was seated opposite her mother. She was not that old, maybe her early sixties but the clothes were old fashioned. The dress she wore was maybe what the women in the 19th century wore, though she either didn't know or care . She also had a stern expression on her face as she looked at Sally-Anne. The girl walked gracefully to a chair facing the older woman and sat down primly.

" Good morning ma'am. I was told that you wanted to talk to me " She said with an angelic smile to the older woman and watched with slight satisfaction as her eyes softened and she smiled yet warmly at her. One of the lessons her mother taught her was to give an appropriate outer image to others to gain their approval, or in other cases different yet desirable reactions according to the person in question. It was one of the reasons why her mother was so successful in her trade and she has taught her daughter well.

" Hello child. My name is Professor Minerva McGonagall, from a prestigious school of children with special abilities. I have come to offer you a place in it " she paused and looked at Sally-Anne. The girl merely looked back curiously. She was enrolled in a one of the best secondary schools money could pay for but was curious about this one, especially the part of special abilities.

She continued. " Tell me Ms Perks, have any odd, or unexplainable events happened to you. Especially when you are highly emotional. You can tell me, i will not judge you negatively. " Sally-Anne looked at her thoughtfully. Yes, odd things have happened to her especially when emotional. Though that was when she was younger and had a more strenous hold on her emotions. Once, a mean girl who was taunting her suddenly had pimples and pustules all over her skin, it happened when she was very angry and upset. Other times, when pushed into a pool in school, she came out perfectly dry and another time during a Christmas party when she was very happy because of the present that she got from her mother, a toy telephone, butterflies multicoloured suddenly appeared and started flying around the area. The most common reaction when she was very angry with a big desire to hurt someone, electricity, like lightning would run through her body and jump out at sudden intervals

Sally-Anne was by no means stupid. And neither are her parents. When these events become commonplace, Cassandra and Timothy Perks sat her down in the sitting room and talked about them. Her father Timothy Perks is the one who taught her to be observant and make decisions on her observation and not her emotions. The reason why his company for the importation of various goods and commodities was very successful, especially when some of the clientele do not walk the legal side of the law. It became almost second nature to think of things thouroughly, from looking at peoples mannerisms and acting on them. And it started on that simple Friday evening when she came back home to the summer holidays in near angry tears. From the talks, not much sense was made of the events but the fact that it happens due to anger shame or happiness. Then she learnt how to suppress emotions and with her mother's help she learnt how not to show them to the public and with her father's help how not to act on them. It seemed to help with the odd events, though there were times when it happened completely unexpected.

Her most common reaction, electric pulses, happened when she wished to hurt somebody. So she got a hold of that emotion and summoned it to the forefront of her mind, and with it the desire to see it happen and the visualisation of the sparks. Then power flowed through her, and she just felt the power and control in her as she made the electricity pass through her and even launch onto a target. It was not something physical or tangible, but it was there. Not without a price. It would make her tired and slightly dizzy and hungry. The search for information yielded nothing useful to understand this phenomenon. And she kept my training on electric kinesis a secret from her parents.

Sally-Anne came out of her thoughtful silence wondering what this woman would want with her abilities. The possibilities are endless. The rumours of the government doing secret experiments come to mind. Her parents could protect her from most Interlopers with their various contacts of the past business partners but only if they have any access to her. She decides to go about this carefully.

" If i am to have these odd events happening to me, what would be their significance ? " She asked in a cool steady teacher looked slightly taken aback by her answer but replied anyway

" If so, then you have magic, the ability to manipulate your surroundings with your will. I can show you a demonstration." She said while pulling out a stick with a handle from her purse. Sally-Anne deduced that that was a wand. OK, this was becoming a bit cliché, next she'll say we travel with brooms. Her mother had been silent the whole conversation, merely watching intently. Sally-Anne nodded her confirmation when the professor held up the stick, which she guessed was a wand. She pointed her wand at the glass table and with a simple tap of her wand, the table turned into a white cat. The cat looked around the house in what appeared to be curiosity and moved around the sitting room.

Mother and Sally-Anne stared at the cat in disbelief. Both tried to figure out how this was possible at all. Any form of trickery or illusion. But for the life of her couldn't figure out an explanation besides ... Magic. Which sounded quite cheesy in her mind. The woman seemed quite amused and pleased by the family's reaction to her stunt.

Mother found her voice first. " You were talking of a school for magic, tell us about it " she said, her slight french accent slightly more pronounced due to her french routes and disbelief.

" The school is called Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry. It will teach your child how to control her magical abilities to their fullest potential if she has an appropriate work ethic and thirst for the knowledge. Term starts on 1st of September and ends on the 20th of June the next year and they study for seven years. " She finished her probably prepared speech. Mother already looked like she found a problem with this arrangement, probably the one Sally-Anne sees here.

" Professor, my daughter has to study at school to acquire the necessary requirements to be able to thrive in the world with a respectable source of work and your school basically takes all her years to be able to study and get them. What would be your explanation for that occurance " mother asked the older woman. The professor looked suprised, as if this didn't normally happen, though she answered anyway.

" There is employment available for young people with magic, wizards and witches, we call them by the way. One can be a curse breaker, a charmer and manufacturer of magical objects like broomsticks, magical radios, quills for writing or cameras and many other minor and major, expensive and cheap devices that one would use in everyday life. Or a potion master that mix and make many useful and different kinds of potions for sale for hospitals and other areas of use. A healer, or a politician in the Ministry of magic to influence the law making. The possibilities are endless, and with the right amount of work ethic and time given, your daughter can eventually be as rich as you are now ". Mother was thinking through all those possibilities. And so was Sally-Anne. One specific part caught her mind.

" If there are law makers, then you have a society to govern, things to regulate and control, crimes to punish for " Sally-Anne asked the professor. She nodded looking confused as to where her questioning was going. Her mother watched her approvingly, her parents always liked it when her cleverness and pragmatism showed.

Following that train of thought, she continued. " And if i were to grow up, get married and have children, they would grow up with the knowledge of these magical devices you speak of, spells and the society as a whole. Why is it that we didn't know about this at all before you came here and told it to us ? " The teacher took a few moments before answering. Sally-Anne guessed that not all people, if any asked these kinds of questions. Not suprising since not many are that intelligent and cynical.

" There is a law called the international statute of secrecy. It reads that muggles, what we call the non magical people, are not to know the existance of not only magic itself but the magical communities of all countries in the world. The only exception to this law is of the parents of muggleborns like you and your husband, but even then, your are not allowed in majority of the purely magical areas. This law is carried out with muggle repelling charms on the areas of wizards and witches wish to keep secret and memory charms if they happen to come across something remotely magical to block their memories of the events " Sally-Anne narrowed my eyes at the term, muggle. It was clearly derogatory. She obviously thought herself superior to the people with no magic, she was just corteous enough not to show it but it was there. Even the word muggle, which she casually said like a normal word felt insulting to her ears. And she could have been memory **charmed** before along with her mother, father and cousins. She could feel her mother's displeasure radiating of her and her voice was slighly colder when she next asked.

"My daughter is as you told us a witch and i am her mother. Why are we not informed of this before she is thrust into a world she has no experience in dealing with with peers who grew up in this world and would take suprising things like what you just did here for granted. " Mother said to the professor with the slight hint of condensation like this was obvious. The professor bristled slighty at the tone the younger woman was using with her but reigned in her temper. She seemed volatile. She looked to be in thought for a moment before shrugging.

"Its just the way its done. We simply inform them of the facts after the child's 11th birthday a month before school starts." By mother's pursed lips, that wasn't a satisfactory answer but she looked like she would leave it at that.

Sally-Anne's mother looked at her neautally with a raised eyebrow. For all what her parents had taught her in life, they gave her free reign in making her decisions, showing no signs of approval or disapproval except pride when she shows cleverness and intelligence, and occasionally cunning when necessary. So she thought carefully on the options she has. She was to enter not only an unknown school, but an unknown world with different laws of everything imaginable, including those of physics and possibly common sense by the display of indifference McGonagall showed at the obvious difficulties that she would face. If she would refuse this opportunity she would miss on not only the chance to control her powers but the chance to be part of a secret society. Yet, if she accepted, she would have to face new challenges which were completely unknown to her.

Sally-Anne made her decision and formed a simple plan with a simple motto with complicated procedure. If you wish to survive, know how everything works to use it to your advantage.

" I accept your admission to Hogwarts professor McGonagall. What do we need to do ? " She said to McGonagall. She couldn't help wrinkling her nose at the name Hogwarts. The professor smiled warmly at the little girl. Her mother merely looked back at her revealing nothing of her thoughts

The teacher pulled out an envelope and held it out to her. Sally-Anne reached out for it and looked at the address.

**Sally-Anne Perks**

**Bedroom No 1 East wing 2nd floor**

**No 9 Sulsberry avenue**

**Chelsea **

**London.**

They got the address spot on. These guys have a lot of reach and power, and Sally-Anne wanted it. She opened the envelope and removed sheets of parchment that couldn't possibly fit in that space. And the parchment was yellowish, thick and old fashioned. Something that **_would_** be found in museums and old fashioned movies of th 18th century. The first parchment was an invitation letter to the school.

_** HOGWARTS**_**_ SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY_**

**_( Headmaster Albus Dumbledore; Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot. Supreme Mugwamp of the International Confederation of Warlocks )_**

_Dear Ms Sally-Anne Perks, _

_I am delighted to inform you that you have been enrolled in Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry, the most prestigious school of magic that is known in Europe. Enclosed in the envelope as a list of school requirements that are compulsory for school activities. There is also a list of compulsory text books of self study in ones free time or during lessons. They can both be retrieved in various shopes in diagon alley. You will also find that a list of all the Hogwarts school rules has also been included in the envelope which you will need to study and memorize and follow when in school. The journey to school is taken by train on the Hogwarts express boarded on platform 9 3/4 at Kings Cross station on Charring Cross road in London. A ticket needed to board the train is similarly enclosed in the envelope._

_We await your reply by owl by the 5th of August._

_Deputy Headmistress,_

_Professor Minerva McGonagall._

The headmaster's name was just plain wierd. Sally-Anne just hoped not everyone was named this wierd. What caught her eyes was the titles he owned. He must be quite important to society. Though the names meant nothing to her. The next piece of parchment had a list of things needed for school. It looked like a list for necessary movie props on a Hollywood movie. Discounting some fairly obvious ones.

_**List of School Requirements for Hogwarts**_

_Please note that all items on this list are compulsory unless hinted otherwise_

_1 wand_

_1 cauldron set (pewter standard size)_

_1 set of scales (brass, standard size)_

_1 set of standard Hogwarts 1st year potion kit_

_Crystal philes (minimum of 10)_

_1 brass telescope_

_1 leather trunk (medium size, quality is optional to all)_

_Sets of quills and ink bottles (colours of inks are open for options, though vibrant ink colours are prohibited)_

_Collection of parchment for note and essay writings._

_1 carrying bag for books_

_Necessary implements for general cleanliness (this should be farely obvious)_

_The clothes requirements_

_3 plain black formal robes_

_3 white undershirts_

_3 pairs of black under trousers for boys and skirts for girls_

_3 pairs of white socks_

_Pairs of appropriate black_ _shoes (pair number and quality not specified)_

_1 winter cloak (silver fastenings) Optional_

_2 pairs of protective gloves (dragonhide or acromantula silk)_

_Pets are allowed (must be owls, cats or toads, getting one is optional)_

_All types of brooms are allowed (1st years are _strictly _not allowed to own a broom) Optional_

The school requirements were farely straight forward in their meanings. As for the list of text books, they were anything but understandable. It had a lot of things that were hardly understandable at first glance and simply said that it had a lot of things for Sally-Anne to read.

_**List of necessary text books for self study**_

_The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk_

_A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot_

_Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling_

_A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration by Emetic Switch_

_One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore_

_Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger_

_Fantastic Beasts and Where to find them by Newt Scamander_

_Dark Forces: A Guide to Self Protection by Quentin Trimble_

The next list, the list of school rules was the longest of the parchments and once again Sally-Anne wondered how that fit in the small envelope. She read some few tidbits that only made her work load all the more extensive. There were some rules that she could understand, like being outside during curfew warranted a detention and loss of points, whatever those were, and so did disrespect to a higher authority. The parts of using offensive magic on fellow students and others had a wide range of punishments from detention to suspension and expulsion depending on the spell used, the intent and result of such actions. And the use of these specific spells called the unforgivables on others warrants immediate expulsion and criminal prosecution as the spells themselves were quite illegal. These and a whole other bunch of rules wifh specific instructions that she didn't bother with now but would later.

Her mind wirling at hyperspeed, she focused on the most immediate of problems. Getting her school requirements. She looked up from her thoughtful spacing out and looked up at the adults in the room. Her mother looked at her amused, as i sometimes do this in one of my episodes of self reflection. Once, Raymond, one of my acquaintances in the school library and table mate for lunch break, jocked that i was thinking of methods to take over the British Isles. The professor was looking at her knowingly, already pegging her for a humble book worm. True, though not completely true. Sally-Anne Perks was not afraid of breaking a few rules as long as she doesn't get caught.

Her mother asked " Let me see those letters ? " Sally-Anne handed them to her. She skimmed the school rules quickly and dismissed it quickly, and paid special attention to the letter of admission. While she did this, the young preteen turned to the professor.

" I assume you will also lead us to diagon alley to get my school things. " I asked with once again what my acquaintances call my signature angelic smile, specifically for convincing elders of her undeniable innocence. Her mother spent hours teaching it to her one idle Sunday. It was meant as a joke, but has been quite useful.

"You assume correctly young one, we could go today, i have many muggleborns in your year to lead to the wizarding world "

" Is this alley one of the places i am allowed to go to ? " Mrs Perks asked delicately, quite finished with her examination of the letters

" Parents are allowed to accompany their children when buying of items. Diagon alley is what you would call the main trade centre for small magical artifacts and a meeting place for most businesses. McGonagall answered. Mother nodded and turned to Sally.

" Prepare yourself Sally-Anne. We are going to collect your school things, i will notify Francis to drive us there. Please wait for us here while we prepare. It will take a few minutes at most " she said the last part to the older woman and stood up from herseat gracefully with her daughter copying her. She flicked the TV remote to switch it off and swept from the room, gracefully, Sally-Anne following her out of the room.

The preteen walked to her room in a fast pace without appearing to run, as was drilled into her. She was lost in thought. All this information was simply mind blowing, and she was going for more headlong. She hoped that this new task of hers was doable. As for clothes, black jeans and a dark blue long sleeved shirt. She would blend into the crowd if her thoughts were correct.

A tiny part of her brain registered that her breasts were developing and she would need training bras and shavers by next year at least. The other part, the part that has always acknowledged self preservation, the part that tells her not to go down that next dark corridor for curiosity's sake without knowing what is there at midnight, asked her repeatedly what the fuck she just got herself into.


	2. Walk through crazy

**Disclaimer:** Did Diagon alley only have small shops selling trivial magical objects, devices and clothes, and a bank despite the fact that it was the largest gathering of the magical population of Britain for business related matters. If so, i do not own the harry potter books, that right goes to JK Rowling, Warner bros and all the other trivial people with money to buy the rights.

* * *

_CHAPTER 2 WALK THROUGH WEIRD_

**_Diagon Alley _**

**_31st July 1991_**

Sally-Anne decided that she had mixed feelings about the first sightings of the wizard society. The Leaky cauldron, an old looking pub which was quite bigger on the inside than the outside, literally was still a grubby pub with questionable characters and hygiene. The alley itself was better looking, but her home's street was more impressive.

She didn't show any emotions besides curiosity like her mother besides her whose face was as unreadable as a locked book, and McGonagall looked to be slightly disappointed at her reaction but hid it well. Sally-Anne could see the appeal in the alley. The streets were cobblestone, neat and clean. The street seemed to curve slightly, and there were a bunch of shops that sold numerous other worldly items. She saw an apothecary, another place that was selling ingredients. Further up the street, for it was a slight uphill climb, the buildings seemed to become more expensive, higher class, taller with no signs of commodity trade, and at the other end, about a mile in Sally-Anne's estimation, the tallest building stood, a magnificent white painted building, that seemed to radiate money. Facing the section of the alley that was curving downhill, the buildings and their financial purposes seemed to lower. The thing the girl noticed the most was the magic in the air. Even when her wealthy upbringing made judgements on the cramped buildings, and the fact that the wizard society lacked a mall and used a shopping district for everything, the magic more than anything gave her a sense of belonging felt only when her entire family was seated together in the sitting room with no work and all play to them.

" First, you need to get some wizard currency so that you can buy her requirements at Gringotts bank, the only bank we have, that white building at the far end. The money exchange rates from muggle to wizards money is blatant robbery but that is the option you will have to contend with now and the future, unless you wish to give your daughter her own bank vault. " McGonagall told this to Sally-Anne's mother and she nodded in reply. Mrs Perks always had a substantial amount of money on her person, usually 500 pounds or higher in her money purse in the hand bag she was carrying.

McGonagall led the two towards the white marble building and Sally-Anne made observations as she walked. There were numerous shops that sold a lot of things, from books in Florish and Blotts, to pets in Magical menagerie, trunks, bags, and even owls at Eeylops Owl Emporium, and other magical devices. When nearing the bank, the buildings became more up to Sally-Anne's usual standards, fancier. They looked like restaurants, clothes stores and what looked like a conference room and one that was definitely a hotel.

Sally-Anne also observed the people. Their clothes weren't old fashioned in that sense, but the difference from the clothes of non magicals was obvious. Women seemed to wear dresses mostly, but many were wearing what looked like tailored robes, with monochrome underclothes and the men wearing the same all throughout. And the material seemed to be thick, natural and generally higher quality than muggle clothes, like cotton, wool, ramie, silk and flax being the major materials and someone looked like he was wearing a jacket of some animal's hide. Sally-Anne added the clothes customs of this society on her to know list.

The group of three arrived at the bank and climbed the steps. When they reached the top, there was a creature standing at the great golden doors to the bank. It was half the size of a grown man with pointed ears, grey wrinkled skin and sharp teeth barred in what looked like a permanent grimace.

" Goblins. The bank owners, temperamental beings, and be respectful to them. " The professor murmured to the mother and child. The beast bowed them into the doors and the three nodded to it in acknowledgement as the passed by. Sally-Anne was slightly surprised that the witch and woman shared that trait of silent acknowledgement.

Another goblin stood by a second pair of doors, silver this time and did the same as the first goblin. On these doors was a writing. Sally-Anne and her mother read it as they passed.

_Enter, stranger but take heed_

_Of what awaits the sin of greed_

_For those who take, but do not earn_

Must_ pay most dearly in their turn_

_So if you seek beneath our floors_

_A treasure that was never yours_

_Thief, you have been warned. Beware_

_Of finding more than treasure there._

" These goblins take security seriously." Mother remarked drily

" Oh, they are the most secure place to keep anything of importance. Their protective charms are known only to them alone, and are quite nasty. Its not infallible, but only powerful dark wizards can break in and get out alive." McGonagall replied to the mother's remark. Sally-Anne didn't doubt that though she wondered what made wizards give temperamental creatures access to their riches.

The main lobby was huge. The floor had white tiles and the ceiling was about 50 feet high and also white. The room also had many counters situated in the centre of the lobby in a square shape with goblins behind them, they were marked with their respective jobs with varying number of people lining in front of the different counters waiting to be served. The jobs included: vault and heirloom managers, the deposit managers, the withdrawal and cart managers, and a single bored looking goblin was on a counter marked muggle-wizard currency exchange.

The last one was where the professor led the two. Below the lables were the exchange rates of the various muggle currencies. Mrs Perks looked at the figures trying to make sense of them.

_British pound sterling_

_1 galleon - 10 pounds_

That was what the section for pounds said. Other currencies had a progressively higher rates. Sally-Anne wondered what determined the rates.

" Good morning, sir " McGonagall said to the goblin briskly. " We wish to exchange muggle currency with magical currency, please." The Goblin looked up from whatever it was doing with that sharp looking knife. It said nothing, merely holding out a long fingered hand for the money.

Mrs Perks checked through her purse and removed a thick wad of 50 pound notes. The goblin held the notes to his eyes and counted the individual notes as fast as a machine could count. In about 5 seconds, the creature was done counting.

" 700 pounds, is it ?" The goblin rasped at mother. She nodded mutely, her raised eyebrows the only sign of her surprise. The goblin retrieved a rectangular bronze device with numbers and symbols on it and touched and moved the numbers in a dizzying pattern. When he was done, some numbers glowed, rearranged themselves on the top of the device showing them the result of the calculation. It read:

**70 golden galleons/540 silver sickles/ 6480 bronze knuts**

Cassandra is no novice at finances, but she looked completely lost by what she saw on the magic calculator. She looked at McGonagall, silently asking what the words meant.

" Galleons, sickles and knuts are coins of the aforementioned material. 1 galleon is equal to 8 sickles and 1 sickle is equal to 12 knuts." Both mother and daughter looked back at the calculator with the numbers and checked for mathematical confirmation. It added up. Which meant, Sally-Anne thought off handedly, that 1 galleon represented 96 knuts. Mother nodded in confirmation but paused and asked both the goblin and witch.

" Wait, how am i supposed to carry that number of coins on my person ?" Looking at her handbag in doubt.

" We can provide you with a free money pouch with undetectable extension charms to keep the money." Drawled the bored goblin, already pulling out a plain black pouch. " Which specific coins should we give you ?" It continued. The family looked confused at the question. McGonagall answered for them.

" 55 galleons and 120 sickles." She said after a short silence. The goblin counted the gold and silver coins quickly and shoved them into the pouch unceremoniously and handed the younger woman the pouch. It had only expanded slightly. The woman took it and put it in her handbag and the group of three walked out of the bank.

" Let us get the most important item for any witch and wizard, the wand. It is the focus for most if not all the magic you will ever do in your life. " The mother looked at the girl who smiled in anticipation at the mention of the tool. She nodded in the set of at the street going in a different direction. Diagon alley seemed to have an oval shape on a gently sloping land. Sally-Anne could see a third street through the gaps in the buildings that passed through the centre. She would investigate this later.

The walked for a slight distance and stopped in front of small sad looking shop on the opposite side of the alley. On the door was a sign with a wand on a purple cushion shooting out gold sparks. The words read;

Ollivanders: makers of the finest wands since 382 BC

The group of three entered the shop, setting off a tinkling bell somewhere inside. The shop had shelves filled with boxes with what Sally-Anne assumed contained wands on the left, right and partially back wall. There was a counter at the back of the shop in front of a door to another room.

There was also a woman in the shop looking at one of the boxes. At their entrance she looked up and watched them enter. She bore a remarkable resemblance to Sally'' mother. She had straight blonde hair, alabaster pale skin, a perfectly sculpted face structure and a tall elegant slim figure that was clothed in a silvery blue ankle length dress. The only difference from Cassandra were the eyes, which were cold glacial blue, that Sally's mother was wearing black jeans and a black turtle neck sweater and the latter's lack of magic. They were both elegant and haughty enough to be sisters.

The woman and McGonagall observed each other coldly, the blonde looking haughty, the professor trying to look intimidating with a slight hint of disgust and hatred. The older woman broke the uncomfortable silence.

" Mrs Malfoy, this is a surprise, seeing you in public. " McGonagall said with a cold smile while gesturing around.

" Why ? My son is to start for Hogwarts in September, i and my husband are merely shopping for the requirements." Mrs Malfoy replied with an equally cold smile. She then noticed the mother and daughter, staring at the two in curiosity, and a bit of veiled amusement at the stand off.

" And who are your companions McGonagall ?" She asked looking at the two. They both met her gaze levelly, revealing no emotion. The mother was used to these situations, testing each other's personality in business partners. Especially the dangerous ones. And she taught her daughter well.

" This is a muggleborn student i am leading through to get her school requirements. Sally-Anne Perks. And this is her mother Cassandra Lenoir Perks." She finished the introduction with a warning glint in her eyes as if to say, be nice or else. The woman acknowledged the glint with an amused curl of her lips and a raised blonde brow, as if saying, you think you can tell me what to do. She turned to the family and smiled, warmly, though her eyes were now calculating.

" My name is Narcissa Malfoy. How are you two doing this fine day ?" She said formally while her eyes studied them, from the clothes they wear to their poise. Cassandra struck an impressive figure even in something as plebian as jeans. Her daughter was growing up to emulate her mother too.

" Hello Mrs Malfoy. We are doing fine today." Sally's mother answered equally as formally and pleasantly, her gaze never wavering.

" How are you finding the wizarding world so far ?" Both mother and daughter sensed an underlying meaning in that question.

" It is quite different from what we are used to. Since my daughter has magic and is new to it, she has to adapt to the ways of this new society to the best of her abilities." She said while looking at the girl. A lot of hidden meanings were in play here and Sally-Anne's mother just brought her in this game of words.

" I would want to fit in as best as possible, so i will try to read about the cultures and customs to emulate them wherever and whenever necessary." Sally-Anne said to Narcissa with an angelic smile. The woman nodded with a small smile. The girl felt like she had been graded for a test, and the results were just about to come.

" I assume you're here to buy your wand" Narcissa said to the girl.

" Yes. We decided i should get it first since it would be an extension of my magical control. I also wanted to get it first."

" My son Draco is getting all his other school things first with his father. We decided to let him stew in his anticipation. Well, do not let me delay you any longer." Narcissa said while turning to the counter where an old man was standing looking at the scene with slight amusement.

" Welcome to my humble shop. Narcissa, Minerva." He nodded at the women respectively who nodded back at him. He then turned to the two other people in the room.

" Hello, young girl. My name is Garrick Ollivander. Finally of age enough to study magic. What is your name ?" He said to Sally.

" Sally-Anne Perks, sir " She said

" Okay. Lets get to see which wand is for you." He said while moving behind the counter and pulling out what looked like a tape measure with silvery markings from his pocket. "Which is your most functional hand ?" He asked.

" I can use both, though i was born left handed." She said while holding out her left hand. Ollivander let the tape measure go and it started measure many of her body lengths on its own flying around her body, from the length of her arm, width of palm, knee to foot, between the eyes and even length of fingers. None of which made sense and was quite irritating. Her mother tried not to look too curious at the blatant magic of the device. There was also a parchment on the counter with a quill and bottle of ink . The quill was writing some things on its own and was quite difficult to ignore, but they persevered by only showing polite interest in their faces. It was unbecoming to appear a fool in public.

" Excuse me Mr Ollivander. What is the significance of these measurements on the wand my daughter is to buy ?" Mrs Perks asked. Narcissa was watching curiously, seemingly content with looking on.

" The length of the wands for delivery of magic must be in a specific range that corresponds with the magic flowing the the body and accurately helps in its flow, power and control. Too short a wand and one might not get the desired effect of the spell cast due to lack of control. Too long and one might deliver too much power in a spell leading to annoying and occasionally risky side effects." Ollivander said this to both Mrs and Ms Perks. This information was fascinating and useful. Simply put, magic was aspects of power and precision.

Ollivander continued with his monologue. " Most wizards and witches think of wands as mere tools for use and control of their magic. This is not completely true. A wand is perhaps, the most important of all magical inventions, because without wands, control of the power we yield would be more difficult and more taxing and mastery would take a longer time. They provide the extra boost to make trivial things easy and learnt early. The wood of a wand is acquire from many trees infused with magic, which have grown in different situations and represent different aspects in nature and correspond with the what the wielder can be. The core of the wands, which here, only pheonix tail feathers, tail hairs of unicorns and heartstrings of dragons are used, represent the personalities of the wielder, as it corresponds with the animal taken from it. In all wands have a semi sentient awareness and call out to the perfect wielder." Ollivander smiled at Sally-Anne's slightly overwhelmed expression. It all made an odd sort of sense.

" Now, with your measurements, you are going to need a wand of between 13 and 15 inches of length. Lets see what we can get for you." He moved to the right side and began taking out a specific group of boxes. He placed them on the counter and removed the wand from the closest box. " Give it a wave and we'll see. Dogwood and unicorn hair 13 and a quarter inches." Sally-Anne flicked it, trying to look dignified. Nothing happened, and Ollivander snatched it back and returned it to the box. He brought out another one. " Maple and pheonix tail feather." Sally-Anne flicked it but Ollivander snatched it before she could do anything substantial. With a head shake he got another wand and handed it to her. The third one had a reaction alright. The glass at the front wall shattered, or more accurately, imploded and merely collapsed as if no longer able to stay. Narcissa flicked her wand her wand at the glass pieces and they reassembled themselves into perfection.

It went on in that pattern for sometime, either nothing or a destructive occurance like vanishing the roof to dust. Sally-Anne felt a sort of resistance when she touched those of no reaction, and an outright rejection with the violent wands. Eventually, the number of wands i was theorized to be compatible with on counter got done. Ollivander was not deterred, in fact, he seemed to be more enthusiastic than before. " A difficult customer eh ? Not to worry, we'll find your companion yet." Then he left to the back room and brought a whole lot of wand boxes back. By now Sally-Anne was getting annoyed. The man was a bout to pick a box at random when he froze and looked at a particular box, pitch black in colour. He picked it up and looked at it contemplateivly.

"Try this wand, one of the older wands that has been collecting dust." Sally was curious as to why he didn't say the wand wood and core if this wand but tried it none the less. The wand was bone white, straight well polished and made with precise cuttings. The handle fit perfectly in Sally's hand and as soon as she touched it she felt a rush of camederie, companionship and power. Green electric sparks shot out of the wand and touched her body all over, dancing on her body as if welcoming home an old friend and making quite the spectacle.

"Mine." I said probably more firmly than was warranted. But without a doubt, it belonged with her, the rush of power and sense of acceptance, like she had finally got my hearing after living life deaf.

" Without a doubt. That wand is 14 inches, made from the oldest yew tree in the British mainland with a core of a dragon heartstring and an old particular dangerous and clever man eating Peruvian Vipertooth that took the locals about a year to track down and an hour and six fatalities to finally kill. That that wand chose you is very curious indeed." The description sounded good to Sally-Anne's ears, the clever and dangerous part, though she was not old now, or maneating. Though why that would be curious was lost to her. It seemed her mother just wanted answers too.

" Excuse me, why would this wand choosing Sally-Anne be anything to be curious about."

" Well, getting wand wood from magical trees is not easy nor do you get all that you want. Wand makers use a ritual to retrieve the wood, and the amount of wood released by the tree is the most it can give up for a long time. This particular yew tree gave enough wood to only make one other wand. A wand that was wielded by the most recent and most powerful dark wizard in the 20th century. He who must not be named." The temperature dropped at this announcement, though Sally-Anne and also her mother were more curious than scared. Apparently she has a connection to the most recent wizard society Darth Vader. She had no imminent plans of mass genocide though, but being connected to a powerful wizard gave her confidence a boost, despite him being 'dark'.

And apparently, he must not be named. Curiosity got the better of her and she asked despite herself. " What is his name, and why mustn't he be named ?" She said this to nobody in particular. Her mother gave her a warning glance. Oops, forgot one of the many rules, questions are a danger to you, and a burden to others. But the question was asked and the answer came any way.

"_** Voldemort **_"

The name came in an odd and weird unison from all three of the others, and if possible, the temperature in the air dropped below freezing. Enough that the normally composed Perks shivered ever so slightly.

McGonagall was giving her a slightly fearful look, Ollivander, a grim one and Narcissa looked at her with absolutely no expression on her face. Probably because of her connection

Though her mother's face showed a bewildered look, and when she looked at Sally-Anne, she raised an eyebrow, which seemed to say 'figure it out'

" Okay. So how much do we pay you for the wand ?" Her mother asked suddenly, effectively breaking the tension.

" That will be 7 galleons. For an extra 2 galleons, i can provide you with a waste wand holster or a wrist wand holster for 3 galleons." He replied. Sally thought for a moment, and concluded that she would take the wrist holster. Ollivander attached it to her wrist and told her how to remove it by flexing specific muscles. It sort of like an arm band to her with a tiny hole the size of the wand handle, and with the right flex, the wand would jump into the palm and could easily be hidden in long sleeves and easily dismissed in short sleeved shirts.

Narcissa bade the mother and daughter a warm good bye, McGonagall a condensing smile and drifted through the crowd, which parted for her like the red sea, almost like aristocrats, or the higher class citizens, which she probably was.

" Come, we will get your school robes first." The old professor said while observing the retreating back of Narcissa Malfoy with ill disguised hatred. The made their way on the opposite direction, people also parted for the professor and even some greeted her. She was very respected.

The three had neared the shop called _Madame Malkin's robes of all occasions, _when Sally-Anne suddenly realized what her mother was hinting about to her. Voldemort, was an improvised word in French, her second language which she is fluent in, a reason an accent comes into her speech and her mother''s. And crudely translated from English meant 'flight from death'. That had a lot of possible meanings, but she put it out of her mind as it was time to continue observing her surroundings.

Another trivial fact that was possibly ignored by many of the newcomers were the tiny alleys that were in between the buildings, away from the main street. They also contained many buildings that, although looked trivial looked very important and appeared to be work places as a lot of people were entering them. Some of the alleys were smaller than others.

McGonagall turned into the robe shop, she entered and the two other companions followed her inside it. The inside of the shop seemed bigger than the outside, literally. This seemed to be the main norm in most Diagon alley establishments. It was filled on one side with men's clothes, and on the other side with female clothes. At the forefront, were the robes. One would mistake them for thick dresses at first sight, with a low neckline, but there was a noticable difference when examined. They all had long sleeves and the sides extended to the opposite ends and blended and blurred together. No matter the design on the robes, whether silver trim, or patterns of many colours, the cloth on one side of the robes extended to the other side of the body of the wearer blending almost perfectly. There was also a belt like chord by the waste that was tied at the side of the body, many in different colours. The difference between men's and women's robes was slight but noticable, from the flaring of the bottom half of the cloth for women to the slightly wider shoulders for men.

There were also numerous clothes, underclothes, some thinner and thicker than others. From the plain colours of the undershirts, and trousers, to the good looking colours of what looked like casual wear shirts, t-shirts, shorts and trousers and dresses and skirts. Sally-Anne guessed that the robes along with their underclothes were used for formal and public occasions and places. The casual clothes simply looked casual enough to pass off while doing anything innocuous.

A young lady came from a back room towards us and smiled.

" Good morning. Professor McGonagall. " She said brightly at us, nodding at the professor.

" Hello Ms Jackson how are you these days ?" McGonagall said with a small smile.

" Fine professor, quite fine. Well what can i do for you people today ?" Jackson said with a smile to the woman and girl.

" The girl needs her Hogwarts robes. First hand robes will do, i think ?" McGonagall said turning to the other two. Mrs Perks answered.

" First hand for her uniform, yes. We also want to see some other clothes. Casual and formal clothes and your opinion on what to buy if that is fine with you." Mrs Perks said.

" That i can do. Please came here young girl for the fitting. We have another young lady here being fitted for robes." The woman, Jackson said. Sally-Anne followed her to a cleared portion of the room. The girl mentioned was standing on a pedestal with that silvery tape moving around her. She was a short fair skinned red head. Sally moved and stood beside her as another tape measure moved to measure her.

" Hi, I'm Susan Bones." She said with a small expectant smile. "I would offer you my hand but ..." She trailed off, with a gesture at the distance between the two and the tape measures.

"I'm Sally-Anne Perks. Fist year. You ?" She replied politely.

"Same. I've been waiting to go to Hogwarts since i learnt how to speak." She said enthusiastically.

" So you grew up in the wizarding society ?" Sally asked curiously

" Oh yes, I'm a pureblood. The wizarding world is a very nice place if you know the places to be. Your a muggleborn, right?"

"Yes." Sally-Anne admitted slightly reluctantly. " I just found out about all this today." She wouldn't admit it in public, but she was afraid of the social codes. She preferred to be in the shadows, the unknown.

" Don't worry. If you have a friend helping who grew up here, they can help with navigating the world. It depends on what said friend knows." Susan said reassuringly. " I can help with that, Sally-Anne. I'm from a fairly old family and know the social scene around here."

" Thank you. I admit i will need the help immensely. It slightly feels like moving to another country."

The tape measure was done with Susan. Another older woman handed her her black school robes, Oxford shirts and skirts. She turned back to the part-blonde girl. " I have to meet up with my aunt soon. But word of advice, by a book about the old wizarding families, a book of a muggleborns' guide to the wizarding world and a book of dark wizards. Those books will help in your introduction to this world the best."

" Thank you very much, Susan. See you at school." She hesitated to go before saying.

" Listen Sally, Hogwarts divides its students by four houses according to personality. Would it be okay if we remained friends if we were in different houses." She sounded slightly nervous

" Its okay. Besides, your supposed to be my official guide to the wizarding world." Sally-Anne repled jockingly. Susan beamed, waved and went to the exit.

Sally-Anne was greatful for the girls input. All books on the list were school work related. How these people expected new comers to survive in this world is beyond her. She mentally catalogued what had happened to her in the last few minutes. The book in dark wizards will probably tell her about this Voldemort character. And judging by the reactions of the adults in the wand shop he was fairly recent. Sally had a passing knowledge of the meaning of dark wizard from the Wizard of OZ books and wanted to know more.

The rest of the time in the clothes shop passed in a blur. She received her school uniform robes and the casual clothes she decided looked appropriate for the public. The group of three then went to a shop they had passed by earlier. _Gladelot's School Supplies._

Inside were displays on what passed for school supplies for Hogwarts. There were quills of different sizes and colour feathers, ranging from brilliant yellow, to pitch black, snow white and tropical blue and green. Probably from different bird species. There were also other functions like dicta-quills, self correcting, self refilling and unbreakable, theft alert and many others. There were also ink bottles, crystal since there was nothing artificial in this world. The inks were more wide ranging than was strictly necessary. Bright yellow, green and even pink, to dark blue green, crimson and black. There were piles of parchment on another shelf on display with noticably varying qualities from thin yellowish, thick yellowish to silver and golden and many different other colours. And the final items that caught my attention out of necessity. Notebooks of different qaulity, quantity of pages, length and width and colour of covers. Of course it came with the extra charms that were surely too many to memorize. The anti-theft, undamageable, unflammable and most interesting, the never ending pages charm. There was also a small display of telescopes of different material, like bronze, silver, gold, brass etc but of similar size.

On with the shopping, a bunch of black, dark blue and green quills, ink bottles of similar coloured inks, and thick yellowish parchment as suggested by McGonagall, even when both mother and daughter would have gone for the more expensive pure white, after all, they were rich. They bought the ones with extra charms, as they were substantially more expensive they didn't put much of a dent in the coins they exchanged with the goblins. They telescope was bought without much thought. The note books on the other hand had quite a bit of thought. They were not strictly necessary, weren't even on the school requirements list, but Sally-Anne decided to by ten medium sized ones each with different covers with the theft prevention and never ending pages. They were for note taking in class and extra revision of the work. Especially when McGonagall mentioned that they were more than necessary for the subjects. When they were done with the shopping, Mrs Perks was a total of 13 galleons short.

They were left with the book store, the trunk shop and the apothecary. They went to the book store first so that they could get the less bulky of the remaining goods. The bookstore _Flourish and Blotts, _was fairly big on the ouside with three stories. The inside was obviously bigger with shelves upon shelves of text books, novels and magazines. They were arranged according to subject matter. Charms, Transfigurations, Curses and Counter curses, Potions, Herbology, Adventure, History, Sports to name a few.

" Okay, Sally-Anne, get the books on the list. You can also get any others that catch your eye but be wary of the prices, please. I will be by the counter waiting." Sally's mother told her. She nodded in reply, though McGonagall didn't look like she approved of the 11 year old on her own. Sally-Anne almost snorted in an unladylike fashion. She had been making majority of her decisions since she was eight. Maybe not an overly exciting childhood, but she was indulged more than the middle class kids.

She picked up all the books on the list after one sweep of the store, putting them in the basket she got from the counter. Next, she turned to the curses section, leafed through a number of books and decided that _Bewitch your Friends and Beffudle your Enemies with the latest revenges_**_. _**_By Professor Vindictus Viridian. _Some of the curses in this book looked trivial, with embarrassing effects like hair loss. Others looked quite effective and would need time to heal, like the conjunctivitis curse, tooth enlargement, boils producing and full body bind. She also decided to take, _Duelling tips for beginners**. **__By Raymond Shafiq. _Just because. Onto the charms section, a lot of books showed complicated charms with various adjustable effects. Too high for my level now. In the end, she went for, _Common Charms of your everyday life**. **__By Mary Jane Poppins. _Mostly because they looked my level and quite useful.

Then, Sally-Anne followed Susan Bones' advice. She went to the history section, looked through, finally finding a few useful books. She picked up, _Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts. Nature's Nobility: a wizarding geneoligy. The Cultures and Customs of Britain's elite**. **_Then she moved to the part of the book store called Modern Affairs, which was quite extensive. She fished out, _A muggleborns' guide to the wizarding world**. **_Also a thick magazine titled, _The top most magical places to visit on earth. _They simply looked interesting.

When she got back with the large pile of books in the basket, the shop keeper and professor looked surprised, though her mother didn't look the same. Mother knew she liked to read, though not for academic purposes all the time. In fact, she mostly read something that sounded useful or something interesting like a novel. And not all the time. The books werepaid for, and they left the 8 galleons lighter.

The trip to the apothecary was brief but fascinating. They quickly got the cauldron, scales, philes and students 1st year potions kit. They ingredients looked interesting but disgusting. And the smell got to the woman that she had wrinkled her nose the entire time and didn't wish to linger.

The trunk shop was interesting too. When they entered, they noticed different shapes and colours of trunks. And naturally many different charms. There were undetectable extension, multiple compartments, numerous protecion charms and many others. The residents shop keeper a well dressed middle aged looking man, noting that we were muggles and rich ones at that, ripe for cheating eagerly led us to th more expensive types. His enthusiasm was slightly dampened when he noticed McGonagall and stammered out a greeting to her to which she replied with a stiff " good morning Mr Sykes." Hhmm, probably old troublesome student. Sally-Anne's mouth curved into a wry smile at the thought of doing trouble without being caught, her favorite pass time.

There was a trunk that caught both mother and daughter's attention. It had an entire room inside of it. An undetectable extension charm, Sykes said. There were added implements like a bed, bookshelf, desk, and most wierdly a bathroom and toilet. The prices of these trunks was quite staggering, the cheapest looking one was 60 galleons. This was obviously more money than Sally-Anne's mother had on her now. Of course they could afford it, but it was quite unnecessary.

" These ones are quite expensive which is why they were few of them, but when i was a student, i had one of these babies. Hid lots of illegal contraband in it." He said with a conspiratory smile.

" That sounds interesting sir. I might even come for one in the near future with a similarly snake like smile. She looked at her mother, who looked like she was hiding a smirk. McGonagall's lips were very thinned in disapproval at the rule breaking in school that was probably not caught.

" Too bad little firstie." Sykes said, looking faux regretful. " If you come here i can show you some other trunks with useful features added on." He said leading them to a different section of the shop. Sally-Anne had taken a liking to Mr Sykes. He was both cunning and clever.

In the end, they decided to buy a midnight blue and silver truck with an extension charm that made it look twice as deep as it really was, had a shrink to pocket size function, had some powerful protection charms on it, and was permanently featherlight, and had a few secret compartments. McGonagall looked even more disapproving especially when she insisted on the secret compartments, but couldn't say any thing against it since the school list said any quality. Quite naive. Mr Sykes just chuckled and accepted.

When the trunk was shrunk and put in the shopping bag with books, Mr Sykes bid them a cheery farewell.

" Pleasure doing business with you too Mr Sykes." Mrs Perks said cordially.

" Don't worry, those compartments won't go to waste, sir" Sally said with a cheeky smile. The man smiled back.

" You remind me so much of some old Slytherin friends of mine. You would do well in that house little girl." That confused her. What was a Slytherin. She was about to ask when McGonagall spoke up.

" Mr Sykes, Slytherin house doesn't accept muggleborn students. I highly doubt Ms Perks would be sorted into that house." She said, with a bit of disgust at the house. The man shook his head dismissively.

" That is just a common misconception. Some purebloods like to disturb muggleborns, but the rest simply have better things to do. And disturbibg the same person gets old quite quickly. They have their issues but that doesn't mean they are non existent." He said seriously. When McGonagall looked doubtful, the man shrugged and bid them adou.

Sally-Anne wanted to know more about Slytherin. It was obviously a house but, looking at McGonagall's thin lips, it was not a nice conversation topic.

" Professor McGonagall. What methods do wizards use for communication. I take it that witches and wizards don't use telephones." Sally's mother asked suddenly.

" Oh no. Muggle technology reacts badly and erratically around any form of magic. Wizards and witches use owls to deliver letters." Mrs Perks raised a blonde eyebrow at that statement. Sally-Anne could practically here her mother's voice in her head saying, ' positively midieval'

" There are no other methods of communication ?" She asked quizically.

" There are these two way mirrors. Though they are quite expensive compared to owls and can only communicate with a limited number of mirrors while owls can go to virtually any person, as long as the one sending has even a vague idea of who the recipient is, a name, or a title. It is a better way of communicating." Sally's mother paused at this information and thought for a moment.

" What about speed of communication. Which is faster?" She asked finally.

" The mirrors are faster. But as i said, they are expensive, and the information can't be saved unless one is writing on a parchment while listening." McGonagall replied to the question.

Sally-Anne's mother didn't even appear to think of it. " Where do we get the mirrors. I would prefer that method of talking to my daughter while she is in school." McGonagall sighed at that. She led them back up towards the richer business section of Diagon Alley. She looked at a building with a glass front and hand mirrors on display like cell phones in the non magical side of London.

They entered the shop and went to the shop keeper. McGonagall was correct in the expesive part. Mirrors with the capability to connect to one other were the cheapest and as the number of possible connections increased, so did the price. In the end, Sally-Anne's mother bought 2 mirrors and connected them with the help of the shop keeper using his wand, and said their names clearly at the back of the mirror to identify them as theirs.

Done with their shopping, the professor parted with them with a curt 'see you at the beginning feast'. Not old fashioned at all. She also told them how to go to platform nine and three quarters. Run through the barrier between 9 and 10. Not odd at all.

Francis was there waiting, in the benz to take them home. They entered and put their purchases in the back seat. They drove home in silence, not speaking as this new information that was given to them was internalized.

When they reached home, itwas late afternoon but they felt incredibly tired. Sally's mother told Francis to take the shopping bags to her room. They each went to their separate places in the house to rest. Sally-Anne went to the kids room in the house, turned on the TV and watched for some hours. The thoughts were fairly simple. Every single book bought, she had to at least have a passing knowledge. The more important books, like _Magical theory, History of Magic, Cultures and Customs of Britain's elite, _were to be read cover to cover.

And she had one month. That would be enough time for her.


	3. Of arrogant boys and talking hats

**Disclaimer: **_Was the only way to platform 9 3/4 going through a brick wall from the muggle side of King's Cross station. If so, i don't own Harry Potter books, that right goes to JK Rowling, Warner Bros, and anybody with money who bought the rights._

* * *

_OF ANNOYING BOYS AND TALKING HATS_

Sally-Anne got out of the family range rover at King's Cross station at 9:50 am. Quite early but she was used to waking up on early hours to do her jogging. She looked around at the slightly filled platform. She had last used the train with her father when traveling inter continental from Paris to Russia, it was quite lavish in their first class suite. But never the trains for the middle class.

The last month had been quite busy, with researching the wizarding world from the books given to her. She could tell that it wouldn't be enough but she used what she had. At the very least, she wouldn't be surprised by most trivial things.

Her parents had let he go alone. They were not the most loving parents due to their closed of personalities, but they had their ways of showing care to their daughter. Her father had a reaction similar to her mother's. He had wanted to know the holes missing in the magical story. Sally and her mother could not necessarily answer all his questions but he was interested non the less. In the morning when the family woke up and had their breakfast, there advice was to observe the world she had entered, and don't bring attention to yourself. This was what Sally-Anne was planning to do. Her parents were her role models, they were born rich, but all the money they ever owned is through their own efforts and ideas. That was her main ambition. To be rich and successful like her parents. When she found of her place in the magical society, she was annoyed that she would have to start from square one to reach the level of the elite, but what she decided that the fight would be more that worth it, she just had to see which angle to approach the issue.

She waved at Francis. "See you soon old lady" He told her while waving back. She sniffed in mock disdain at the jibe to her salt and pepper hair colour.

"Bye Franz. See you soon." She said in a snooty voice. She turned around while he drove from the station. She entered it and walked around the station to platform 9. She fixed her disinterested face on and casually observed her surroundings while walking calmly. She reached the barrier of platform 9 and 10 and looked at it. It didn't look anything out of the ordinary, just a brick wall, probably painful to hit. She wondered at the magic used for this, or even how the platform is behind there.

She didn't want to run at a brick wall like an idiot, so she walked in a curving path towards 9 and curving towards 10. She looked to her side observing the muggles, they paid her no attention. When she reached the wall, she slowed down her walk and run her hand on the wall. The wall didn't feel like bricks but rather, compressed air. Odd, that old woman was not lying about going through it. She turned her head, observing the non magical populace in the station. When certain non were looking at her, she steeled herself, and entered the brick wall through her side, starting with her shoulder. The sensation of passing through also felt like compressed air.

She entered another platform with the label 9 3/4 written on a sign hanging from the wall at the opposite end. The space was wide, but had very few families. It was about an hour early for the train ride so not very surprising. A bright red train was parked towards the other end. It was quite long with the words _Hogwarts express _written on the front. On one side of the wall that she came through were the fireplaces. Floo travel, she recalled from the section of magical travel in the introductory text book. As she walked, she observed one of the six foot high fire places flare with green fire, and a late teen in her Hogwarts robes. She brushed the soot and ash off her robes and walked to the back of the train and boarded. These wizards, in Sally-Anne's opinion, tried to be as weird as possible.

Sally-Anne sauntered to one of the carriages towards the back, because it would be the least populated not willing to be with the louder people who would doubtless be at the front. She entered the corridor and found an empty compartment entered it and closed the door behind her. There were 2 black leather seats facing each other on either side big enough for five people to sit comfortably on each and a window looking at the platform. There were also baggage racks on top on either side for the trunks.

She got her shrunk trunk from the pocket of her black trousers and pressed her thumb to the left face. It grew itself to full size on the floor. Sally-Anne opened and retrieved her school uniform from the side for clothes. She also retrieved the book, _Hogwarts. A History._ It was the most interesting of books and she wanted to read it again. She undressed her blue turtle neck sweater, and sky blue T-shirt, and her black trousers. Quickly, before anybody entered, she dressed in her oxford shirt and knee length skirt, tied her white tie around her neck and donned her plain black robes, tying the waist string fastening on the side of her waist. Putting the clothes into her trunk, she shrunk it and put it inside her inner robe pocket. She opened her book and read until it.

Sally-Anne read the section on Hogwarts houses. All the houses had their positive points that was obvious. The students of each house are selected according to what qualities the four founders of the school preferred in the students they taught. Gryffindor valued bravery, daring and chivalry. Hufflepuff wanted those of hard work, justness and loyalty. Ravenclaw wanted those of intelligence and thirst for knowledge. Slytherin, was the most diverse. He wanted those of great ambition, cunning, cleverness, subtlety, resourcefulness and self preservation. The founders must have thought hard of what they wanted in students. Of all the houses, Sally-Anne thought, Gryffindor is the least likely house for her. She was never necessarily brave, or chivalrous and neither quality helped with her future plans. The other houses were more up to her speed. She had the hard work for Hufflepuff, intelligence and thirst for knowledge for Ravenclaw and pretty much all the traits wanted in Slytherin, especially the ambition. Slytherin in her opinion was the house she preferred of all others but the additional information made her doubt she would end up there. It was written that the founder Salazar Slytherin preferred to teach those of magical ancestry and didn't want muggleborn witches and wizards to be accepted in Hogwarts School. Being muggleborn herself, she would qualify for this founder's contempt. The book didn't necessarily say why, like disdain for those of muggle birth was common place, or it was his personal problem. It was even mentioned in later chapters that it was why he left the school and other three founders. And the fact that mostly children from blood purist wizarding families that were sorted into Slytherin house.

With all the fuss about purity of blood in the most recent war of the Dark Lord, and the obvious conclusion that most of his followers would have been Slytherin alumni, Sally-Anne wasn't looking forward to being surrounded by people who could commit such atrocities as mentioned in the war in the book of dark wizards she bought.

Sally-Anne found out the importance of family, and its status in the wizarding world. Most high society families would marry amongst themselves for the status and business dealings and marrying a muggle or muggleborn would make that pureblood a social pariah and bring shame to his or her family in high society. Being born in high society in the non magical world, Sally-Anne would have fit nicely, but her muggleborn status hindered her of both the connections needed and the background that many would look for. With this information, she almost had a upwards mountain climb for her ambitions. This was the wizarding version of racism, and Sally-Anne hoped it wasn't world wide.

With these annoying and depressing musings, she concluded she would be sorted into either Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff house, intelligence, or hard work. The book didn't mention how each student was selected for the houses though and Sally-Anne was nervous about that. It was obvious that the sorting was according to the character traits of the person but the how confused her greatly.

During reading and musings, time had passed and the platform had filled gradually with more families. Sally-Anne gave the platform a brief glance before going back to her reading of the protective wards of the school cast by Slytherin and Ravenclaw. After a short while, the compartment door opened and there stood three boys, one black haired and about her age and the others, taller and older red head twins. The black haired boy spoke to her.

" Hey. Do you mind if i sit here with you. Other compartments are occupied." Sally doubted that claim. He was likely tired of looking. She nodded anyway and the red heads helped him heave his trunk onto the rack. The redheads turned to the smaller boy.

" Whats that?" Asked one, pionting at his forehead.

" What?" The younger one said, touching his forehead, where, Sally-Anne observed, there looked to be a scar, lightning shaped and looked oddly regular. Sally-Anne was now interested, and a faint memory from one of her books tugged at her conscience.

" Are you?"

"He is?" Said the other twin. They were looking at each other in wide eyed wonder.

" Harry Potter!" They said together. Sally-Anne understood their wonder, though not their obvious worship.

" Oh him. Yeah, thats me" He said nervously, looking away and trying to bring the fringe of his messy black hair to cover the scar on his forehead to no effect. Sally-Anne was slightly amused.

The twins were still unable to speak. Potter was slowly turning red at their gawking and looked relieved when a voice called for them, likely their mother.

"Fred? George?"

With one last look at Harry, completely forgetting Sally-Anne's presence, they left the compartment.

Harry sighed and sat on the seat facing her. She raised an eyebrow and smirked at him.

" So, your Harry Potter?" She said neutrally.

" Yeah. Am still getting new to this famous thing, whats your name?" He asked nervously.

" Sally-Anne Perks." She replied his question. She had read of the boy seating in front of her in the book _The rise and fall of the dark arts._ Ten years ago, the Dark Lord, whose name was apparently Voldemort and not spoken, had attacked the potter family home on Halloween and killed the father and mother effortlessly. When he tried to kill the baby with the killing curse, which can't be blocked by any magical shield, the dark lord was vanquished instead and the baby, Harry Potter was left only with a lightning bolt scar. For that reason he was famous across Britain and very venerated, not only for surviving an unsurvivable curse but also killing a powerful Dark arts practitioner and the resident serial killer and given the title, The Boy Who Lived.

But looking at him, Sally-Anne was not very impressed. The boy didn't look like a person who ended a dark wizard. He was thin, short with a pointy face and messy hair that didn't look like it had seen a comb in life. His clothes were baggy and looked like hand me downs. Sally-Anne idly wondered why no one questioned his survival of the curse, and decided that she would search for an answer when she was more magically knowledgeable. If this was the boy hero, then the society treated their heroes oddly.

"Nice to meet you Sally." Sally-Anne also wondered why he was still getting used to fame after ten years. He heard his name from the platform and shrunk in his seat looking at the family of redheads through the window on the platform. He was shy, she noticed.

"Oooh mom, can i go see him please ..."

" You've already seen him and he's not an animal you can goggle at the zoo. Is he really Fred, how did you know?" The plump mother asked the twins.

" Asked him, saw his scar. Its really there like lightning."

"Poor dear. No wonder he's alone. He was ever so polite when he asked how to get on the platform."

"Never mind that. Do you think he remembers what you know who looks like?"

The mother became very stern all of a sudden.

" I forbid you to ask him Fred. No, don't you dare. As if he needs reminding of that on the first day of school."

"Alright, keep your hair on." Sally-Anne was amused by the family. They were typically middle class at best.

A wistle sounded.

"Hurry, get in." The three boys got on the train and it started to move.

" Well, Potter. You defeated a dangerous homicide as a baby. You should be proud." Sally-Anne said to him.

" Well i don't even remember it." Sally-Anne merely hummed in response and went back to reading her book. She wasn't particularly interested in the boy. The people she talked to were mainly quite and reserved. And he wouldn't be useful in her ambitions as his family didn't have a big business that she would intergrate herself in. So the compartment descended back into quite.

A few minutes later the compartment slid open again. These people didn't seem to have manners to knock before entering. The younger redhead boy, first year most likely stood by the doorway.

" Is any one else sitting here, everywhere else is full." He asked. Sally-Anne again doubted this statement but for different reasons. He was likely curious about the Boy Who Lived. The most cheesy superhero title they would come up with.

Harry shook his head and Sally waved her hand dismissively. The boy sat down on the chair with Harry and looked at him,and Harry looked back, bemused. The boy looked away quickly to the window, pretending he hadn't looked. He had a black dirt mark on his nose. His clothes looked old and second hand and looked muggle. Odd.

The compartment slid open again. Sally-Anne was beginning to wonder how many people had manners in this place.

"Ron." It was the twins. "Listen were going down to the middle of the train, Lee Jordan's got a giant terantula down there." One said.

"Right." Mumbled Ron.

" Harry," said the other. "We didn't introduce ourselves. Am George Weasley, and this is my brother Fred, and that is Ron our younger brother." The other twin turned to Sally-Anne

" Hey little firstie. Whats your name?" She nearly wrinkled her nose at the too chearful twins but only nearly.

" Sally-Anne Perks. Nice to meet you Fred and George." She said pleasantly with her angelic smile.

The twins bowed dramatically and removed imaginary hats from there heads in unison. "The pleasure is all mine my lady." They said in unison. It was slightly disconcerting but funny non the less.

" Bye. See you three at the sorting ceremony and be brave. Your gonna need it." Fred said with a devilish grin and laughed as they went out of the compartment. Sally-Anne wondered what that meant.

"Bye." The three first years said.

The three looked at each other. Sally-Anne went back to her book. She was at the section talking about a forest and its inhabitants. This school was very interesting and Sally-Anne could wait to be there.

" Are you really Harry Potter!" The redhead dimwit finally said, revealing his true reason for being there.

Potter nodded.

"So you have the ..." Ron said, pointing at Harry's forehead. The eagerness would have been off putting for Sally.

He lifted his bangs of his forehead and showed the scar. It was very regular shaped, with three perfect zigzags like the sign of a car company and looked like a sharp hot knife was used to curve it, bleach white. Sally was sure that it meant something significant.

" Wow. I thought it was one of Fred and George's jokes. So that's where you know who did ..." He trailed off. Harry nodded.

" Yes. But i don't remember it."

"Really. You don't remember anything." The redhead asked eagerly.

" There was a lot of green light, but nothing else." Harry answered. It was probably the colour of the killing curse. Green light signifies spells to affect the soul as said in Magical theory.

" Wow." He stared at the boy for a few moments until he realised what he had done and hastily looked away. Sally-Anne was amused by the boy's poor social skills. Her, an introvert was light years ahead. That was sad.

She was still reading but was observing the boys through her lashes as per her parents instructions. Harry looked at both Ron and her. " Hey Ron, Sally-Anne. Are all your families wizards?"

Sally-Anne considered her answer. The less the students of Hogwarts know about her, the better in her opinion.

" Er_ I think so. Mom has a cousin who is an accountant i think, but we don't talk about him." Ron replied. Sally remembered from the geneology book that the Weasleys were considered blood traitors for their positive views on muggles. Harry turned to her for an answer.

"More or less." She shrugged indifferently looking uninterested. Not a lie, as she had magic and she was part of the family.

" So you know lots of magic." Harry said eagerly, looking between the two of us .

Sally-Anne shrugged again.

" I heard you live with muggles." Ron said. That wasn't in the books. Sally-Anne rehearsed what she would do. She needed people she could talk to coz some information was never in the books. Just the official version.

" Yeah. There horrible. Not all of them, just my aunt, uncle and cousin. I wish i had three wizard brothers." Potter said sullenly.

"Five." Ron replied, looking gloomy. "I'm the sixth in the family. The oldest, Bill was headboy. Charlie was a star player in the house Quidditch team. They both graduated. Percy is now a prefect and gets very good marks. Fred and George, the twins have a lot of fun with their pranks but still get good marks. My brothers have always stood out in many things, i will be expected to do the same. But if i do, it would already be something done by them. I got nothing new either. I have Charlie's old robes, Bill's old wand and Percy's old rat."

He pulled out a fat grey rat from his denim jacket. It was pitiful. Sally-Anne was positive having rats as pets was disgusting to both magicals and non magicals. Just not with this specific family. They were probably poor, if the robes and wand were anything to say.

"His name is Scabbers. All he does is sleep and eat all day. Percy got an owl from our parents because he was a prefect. They couldn't buy me one because the couldn't affo..." He suddenly stopped speaking and turned red while looking at both Potter and Sally-Anne. The situation probably wasn't helped by her school robes, which were glossy jet black of the highest quality, and her midnight blue flats and her black and silver watch on her wrist. She didn't bother replying, she neither felt sorry for him or an obligation to make him feel better.

Potter seemed different from her. He assured him that he had no money until a month ago and his woes of wearing his fat cousin's hand me downs. Sally idly wondered who was responsible for the boy who lived, to put him with abusive relatives. She looked out the window, watching the grassy fields race by ignoring the two boys. She distantly heard an amazed gasp when Potter said the Dark Lord's name from Ron. These magicals were weird.

She thought of her school career. She was always intelligent, getting good marks. Not the best but good enough. She vowed to find the ins and outs of magic. The whys. That was important to her. She wanted to be powerful, but she wasn't necessarily looking for attention. Nothing ever came out of making oneself a target. Especially a muggleborn in a world against her.

A time of comfortable quiet passed in the compartment. Sally-Anne had opened a section in Hogwarts a history, talking about secret passage ways that made travel shorter and easier. They would be easily found with the revealing spell when she mastered and used it in her free time.

The compartment door slid open, there stood an elderly lady with a trolley filled with odd looking sweets.

" Anything off the trolley dears." Harry immediately jumped up looking for some sweets for an 11 year old. Ron once again looked gloomy and embarrassed, fishing a box with squished looking sandwitches. Sally-Anne stood up. She could use something to eat. Harry looked confused by the options. Possibly looking for muggle sweets, he had much to learn. Sally-Anne thanked the author for the introductory book for muggleborns. She would be similarly stumped, but foods of the wizarding world was also a section. She bought five chocolate frogs and paid the lady and sat back down. Harry bought one of every thing, since he didn't know what they were. He sat down and put the sweets in-between him and Ron. Harry offered us some sweets, I declined and ate my own frogs while Ron happily accepted. He ate the sweets like an uncouth beast. Sally-Anne stare for about a minute and finally looked away. She dearly hoped that she was not near the boy in a proper meal. She looked at the card from the chocolate frog. It was a gold card, one of the rearer ones. There was a moving picture of a man sitting on a silver throne like chair. He looked like he was in his late forties. He looked both regal and monkey like if that was possible with slicked back black hair and a goatee with a beard that pointed straight downward. He wore well tailored robes, black with a silver trim and a dark green undershirt and a golden locket hanging from his neck. There was also an orange and green three headed snake. A runespoor, on the left arm of the chair hissing to the man and themselves.

**SALAZAR SLYTHERIN**

_One of the four founders of Hogwarts. He is particularly famous for his ability to speak to serpents of all kinds, whether magical or mundane._

_He founded the house, Slytherin which values cunning and ambition above all others and has produced many notable members of society, from Merlin, to Paracelsus and other high political figures and magical inventors._

The founder looked back at the girl in disinterest with intelligent silvery grey eyes. Sally-Anne was disappointed not to land in his house, but she would let it go. Ron was currently explaining to Harry about the moving pictures. Harry was in awe. The school was going to get a shock about their hero. He looked about as average as the colour brown.

A knock sounded on the door and it slid open once again. Finally, someone with manners in this society. A chubby round faced boy entered looking tearful.

" Excuse me. Have you by any chance seen a green toad around anywhere." He asked timidly. The boys shook their heads. Sally-Anne decided to say something good for the train ride.

" If we do, we'll get it and bring it to you." She said kindly. The boy smiled at her.

" Thanks a lot. My name is Neville Longbottom by the way. I'm farther down the train by 3 compartments."

" I'm Sally-Anne Perks. Nice to meet you Mr Longbottom." She replied as etiquette dictated. She held out her hand to shake, and was slightly amused by the blush that spread across his face. He shook hesitantly, and let go quickly. She was concerned for his timidity and smiled reassuringly.

" Don't worry. Keep looking and you'll find your toad eventually." She said while returning to her book. The boy left still red in the face. The compartment descended into silence. The girl looked at the boys, who were looking at her in confusion.

" What ?" She said, slightly defensively.

" That was ...formal, the way you talked to the boy." Harry said finally.

" That was the way one is supposed to introduce themselves according to traditions. Ron, you as a pureblood should know that." She said. Ron shrugged.

" I guess. But only the spoiled rich people do that kind of thing. The normal people just say their names." Sally-Anne felt her temper rising at the implied insult, but didn't show it on her face. She merely raised a blonde eyebrow.

" Oh. I know for a fact that those introductions are used by the members of the higher class. Maybe you're not in the higher class." She said slowly, looking at him straight in the eye. He turned red from embarrassment of the insult to his poverty. She was slightly surprised he got the insult. He glared at her, she merely looked back, disinterested until he looked away and started talking to Harry, who was looking nervous at the confrontation. Sally-Anne returned back to the history book. She was now at the section that talked about the Black lake.

" Don't know why he's looking anyway. If i had a toad, i would lose it all the time. Mind you, i have Scabbers, so i can't talk." No he shouldn't. " I tried to turn him to a different colour yesterday with an incantation Fred gave me but it didn't work. Here, I'll show you..."

The compartment flew open again. Seriously, this train ride was very irritating, and she had seven more years. A girl with bushy hair and unfortunately long teeth pocked her head inside. She was also wearing the Hogwarts robes.

"Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one." She said. She had a bossy voice.

" We already told him we hadn't seen it." Ron said, sounding slightly irritated. Not that she blamed him. Though the girl wasn't listening. She was looking at his battered wand.

" Ooh, you're doing magic lemme see." The girl said eagerly, coming into the compartment and sitting on the seat with Sally-Anne. Ron looked nervous but continued anyway.

" Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow. Turn this stupid fat rat yellow." The children's cartoon Sally-Anne was watching was completed with a wave of the wand and complete failure. She giggled quietly to herself. How could she not. Ron and Harry glared at her while the girl looked skeptical.

" Are you sure that was a real spell? I've tried a few spells and it worked out fine for me. Nobody in my family's magical so i was ever so happy to find out i was. I mean it is the best school for witchcraft. I memorized all the course books by heart, i just hope it will be enough. I'm Hermione Granger by the way. Who are you?"

All this was said very quickly in one breath. Sally-Anne was impressed with her memory capacity. And breath. But pretty much nothing else. She pulled her face to her look of disdain and looked away a look of hurt flashed on her face at that. Sally-Anne knew that being nice to this one would give her brain a migraine. The boys had bigger hearts.

" Ron Weasley." Redhead mumbled

" Harry Potter." The boy who lived said, looking stunned. Probably at the cramming of all course books. Sally-Anne had read them too. Though not by heart, that would take too much time.

" Are you really? I've read about you of course. I got a few extra books for background reading. You're in _Modern Magical History, The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts _and _Great Wizarding Events of the 20th century."_

" I am?" He was surprised.

" Yes of course. I would have read everything about you if it were me. Do you know which house you might be in. I've been asking around, and Gryffindor sounds the best so far. It was Dumbledore's house. I suppose Ravenclaw would be fine. Well, i better go look for Neville's toad. You boys better change, i expect we'll reach soon." She got up and went looking once again. Sally-Anne was lucky she didn't know her name. She did not need any familiarity with useless people. Her being muggleborn and annoying made her not necessary.

" Whatever house she's in, i hope am not in it." Ron said while throwing his wand into his pocket. " Stupid spell, Fred told it to me,bet he knew it was a fake."

" Which house are your brothers in?" Harry asked curiously.

" Gryffindor." Ron replied, looking gloomy again. The boy had issues. " Mom and dad were in it too. I don't know what they'll say if am not. I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad. But imagine if am sorted into Slytherin." He looked disgusted at that house.

" That's the house you know who was in." Harry said. Who had told him that

" Yeah. I would never end up in that house." Ron said.

" What about you Sally-Anne. Which house were you family?" He asked her. Apparently he was curious enough to talk to the cold girl. Sally-Anne considered her answer. Her parents, though lacking in magic would have been in Slytherin according to character. But due to negative association with the Dark Lord, she would have to lie appropriately.

" Ravenclaw. I would like to be pegged as intelligent." She said blandly. She then continued to ignore the boys. She had lost interest in the book. She occupied herself thinking of her public image in school.

Because of her magic, she was originally teased and called Karma. Then she conveniently got her revenge on the loud mouths. Then she was feared. She would never be punished because as her mother taught her, what the important people, the teachers in that case, thought of you was what was important. They could never refuse her angelic smile. In Hogwarts, she just wanted to be part of the croud. That would be the best.

The compartment door slid open again. This time Sally-Anne didn't look. She remained thinking of the books of magic. She had performed the simplest of charms. Some worked, others didn't but she was sure that all was needed was practice. She even tried out one of the curses. It produced a ray of light in the direction the wand pointed of different colours. She generally aimed at the sky during her brief practice periods and she decided that she would practice during some of the free times she had.

Idly, she noticed that three boys had entered, two brutish ones and a thin pale one who announced that his name was Malfoy. Probably Narcissa's son she was talking about. Proud and blood purist she had read. Either useless or detrimental to success. It had explained the hateful looks McGonagall gave to the elegant lady, though she had noticed that she didn't look at her, or her mother in disdain which confused her. She wondered when she would meet a family that would help her. Maybe she would go to France and check there for contacts.

Suddenly, Harry and Ron stood up looking angry and ready to fight. She finally looked around at the situation. The two groups were glaring at each other and the tension was quite thick. The boulders looked dumb enough to hurt girls in fights and she was not looking forward to being around when it came to blows. She stood up suddenly surprising the boys. They didn't seem to have noticed her. Good for her.

" Excuse me. I do not wish to see you boys rough housing like uncouth beasts. I will take me leave." She said coolly in her most dignified voice. She gestured for the left boulder to move out of her way with her practiced cold glare. He moved quickly, not wanting to offend the cold rich girl and she sauntered out of the compartment. She decided to walk towards the back. The students were moving about the corridor moving to the bathrooms to change into uniforms. She also observed the students themselves.

The students with red trim paid her little mind, talking boisterously. The ones with yellow smiled warmly. The ones in blue looked thoughtful, like solving a puzzle. The ones in green were diverse. Some sneered, trying to look dangerous. Sally looked at those ones, unimpressed. Some were dismissive while others were calculating. Interesting. While she was moving. There was an announcement that sounded from somewhere on the train.

" Excuse me students of Hogwarts. We are about to reach the station. Please put on your school uniforms. Leave your luggage on the train, it will be delivered to your house dormitories. First years move towards the front of the train when boarding out. You will receive the instructions for later then."

We!l then, Sally-Anne retrieved her shrunk trunk from her robe pocket. She looked through a door window to an empty compartment. She entered, placed the trunk on a rack, touched her thumb to the side in a specific notch and watched it grow to normal size. The locks were charmed so that only she could open them. She exited the compartment, wondering how they would take them to their specific dorms. She shrugged, thinking the answer was obvious. Magic.

She drifted to the front fighting the tide of older students. Most moved out of the way of her cold glare, which could be her favourite expression at times. Her mother told her people fear the unknown, even a younger girl who looks scary can work to her favour.

She got out of the train at a compartment that was towards the front and got out of the way of others. She paused a little way away, wondering what to do. A deep voice rumbled from farther infront of the train.

"Firs' years, firs' years this way. Come this way now..." Sally followed the voice along with other first years. When she reached it, she saw that the voice belonged to a giant of a man. That couldn't be normal, even in this crazy wizard society. Sally-Anne looked at her fellow first years. The reactions were ranging from facination, fear and disgust.

" Firs' years. You all 'ere. A'right Harry." The giant greeted the small boy. A few heads turned at that name. " Follow me." He boomed to the 11 year olds waving his giant hand while walking through a path with trees on either side. The childen walked bumping into each other until they reached the shores of a lake. The black lake. It had many boats parked there presumably waiting for the students to board.

"No more than four 'n a boat kids." The giant boomed.

Sally-Anne boarded one of the boats. She was followed by a dark skinned boy who looked aloof and two girls. One of the girls had long honey blonde hair and ice blue eyes that seemed permanently fixed on cold glare. The other girl had shoulder length glossy black curly hair, olive skin and dark eyes, looking vaguely middle eastern.

"Everyone boarded? Good,then. Fo'ward!" The big man said, and the boats moved forward towards the cliffs in the distance. He had his own boat to himself.

The occupants of the boat didn't speak to each other, and non looked the conversation type. The boats sailed towards the cliffs. When they by passed the trees on the left, they revealed a sight which was unlikely to be forgetten by the students at all in their lives. They all gasped, even the aloof ones in Sally-Anne's boat. She was no exception.

The structure of Hogwarts was magnificent. It had numerous towers jutting out of the man structure which was many stories high, maybe 10. The windows had a yellowish light glowing from within. It looked a combination of midieval castle and royal palace.

" Watch yer' heads kids." The giant said from the front as they approached the base of the cliffs. There was a sea cave opening which was quite low. The students ducked the heads as the boats moved past the entrance. They travelled for a bit and finally came to a rocky shore. They clambered out of the boats.

When the giant, 'he really needed to say his name' ascertained that everyone was out, safe and belongings acquired, including Neville's toad he moved uphill and motioned for the children to follow him. Sally-Anne looked at her former boat companions and they looked back. They followed the flow of first years. They travelled a curving path towards the front of the building and finally reached the front steps, on top of which were heavy wide wooden doors. The giant of a man fist stood on top of the steps, observing the students coming. When he was satisfied that everyone had reached, he turned to the doors and knoked on it with his big meaty fist three times, making an echoing sound. The doors swung open outward revealing Professor McGonagall, complete with her stern teacher look, in a more fashionable emerald green dress.

" Fir' years. Professor McGonagall." Hagrid said to the kids.

" Thank you Hagrid." The giant, who was now Hagrid, 'who names their kid that' lumbered away in side. McGonagall observed the kids for a moment before gesturing them to follow inside. They entered the building into what looked like an entrance hall. It was big enough to fill 3 surburbian houses width wise. And the hall way extended to a spiral staircase that led to the upper floors and there were a bunch of branching hall ways, and entrances on the ground floor including the big doors to the right from where sound of conversation was coming from. The walls seemed to be made of smooth dark grey bricks. Both old and still new looking in a way. Magic.

McGonagall led the kids to a room not far from the bigger room. A smaller room. When the children were collected in the room, the professor turned to face them with her back to a door on the other side of the room, probably leading to the great hall by the sounds coming from the other side.

" Good evening first year students. You will join the rest of the school in the opening feast. But first you must be sorted in your houses. There are four houses in Hogwarts. Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin which encourage bravery, hard work, intelligence and ambition respectively in their students. Every student is sorted into the house they are most likely to succeed in. Your house will be like your family while at Hogwarts. You will attend classes with housemates, rest in its common rooms and sleep in its dormitories. There is a house competition in Hogwarts, where the house with the highest amout of points garnered wins the house cup, a big honour. Points are earned through ones positive actions while rule breaking will lead to its loss."

McGonagall paused at this, letting the children to absorb this information.

" The sorting will begin shortly. I suggest you better yourselves up as it will take place in front of the whole school. I will be back shortly." She looked at Ron, who was standing towards the front, still with the dirty mark on his not. With that, she turned to the door and went through it.

The room broke out in nervous whispers. The topics were about the sorting, and how it happens. Sally-Anne's boat mates were still somehow next to her. Sally-Anne noticed they seemed calmer than the rest either hiding their inner turmoil, or simply not seeing it of anything to be bothered with. The blonde noticed her looking and looked back, pinning her with her icy blue gaze analysing her. She looked back expressionlessly. With a node and a slight upturn of her lips, she turned to analyze other first years with the same calculating gaze. She guessed it meant approval by the nod. Looking at her other side, Sally-Anne caught the eye of the dark skinned Italian looking boy and rised her right eyebrow. He smirked and turned away. She listened to a conversation infront of her.

"Hey, you grew up in the Wizarding world. What do you know about the houses?" Aked one boy to his companion.

"Well, that teacher told us the qualities. Gryffindor is for the brave, the cool kids. Dad was a Gryffindor by the way. Hufflepuff is for the duffers. Ravenclaw is for bookish swots. As for Slytherin, the less said, the better. They are the kids who are evil, bullies, arrogant rich kids and the like. Trust me, they are best avoided." Said his fellow companion male.

Sally-Anne thought that one naive and pompous by his tone of voice. How would a quarter of the school to be evil. She wondered if this was the opinion of older students. Children were certainly not known for common sense. She also felt sorry for that house, she would not be in it.

After a bit of commotion with ghosts, the movies really got a lot of myths correct, the stern professor returned and told them to form a line and follow her. Sally-Anne got behind her four companions and the students marched into the next room, the Great Hall.

The name truly does it justice. The hall was actually more square shaped with four long tables side by side running from the back to he front filled with students watching them enter. There was a fifth much shorter table that was perpendicular at the front of the hall with adults similarly watching them. The four long tables had table covers of different colours and borders underneath the gold plates and goblets. The table on the far left, had a crimson cloth with gold trim. Gaudy but the complemented each other. The next table to it had a yellow table cloth with a obsidian black border. After that, the table had an ocean blue cloth and bronze coloured trim. The table to the extreme right had an emerald green cloth and silver trim. The occupants were as different as the colours. The red and yellow tables were louder than the other two, though red was the loudest. The blue were talking to each other, albeit not loudly. The greens were also talking but were in form of scattered groups speaking to each other, while others were quite and observant.

The best part of the hall was the ceiling. In Hogwarts a history, it was said to be charmed to look like the sky, but observing the real thing was so very surreal. Keeping her face cool was getting harder.

One would question why a child of 11 would keep a tight hold of her emotions, but she was raised to always control what people thought of her and she didn't want the older ones thinking she was an idiot child, just as she was thinking of Harry Potter, and majority of the kids who were gaping in astonishment.

There was a stool in front of the staff table with an old tattered hat on top of it. McGonagall stood next to it looking at the first years.

When the first years had finished lining up on the left side of the staff table, silence fell on the hall.

The focus of the older students seemed to be on the hat. Sally-Anne was sure it was supposed to be something important, as nobody was doing anything. And it did. A rip opened near the brim of the hat and it started singing in a male somewhat intelligent deep voice. The music was not exactly entertaining, or informative or even in tune but it was tradition so it seemed to be tolerated. When it was finished, the students and staff clapped for it.

"When i mention your name, you will come and sit on the stool and put the hat on your head to be sorted." McGonagall said after silence fell. She retrieved a scroll from... somewhere and started reading. Sally-Anne had to admit that being sorted into a house infront of many watching pale faces was unnerving.

" Abbott Hannah." She said. A blonde girl in pigtails stumbled to the stool and sat down. McGonagall placed it on her head and it fell to cover her face. After a few seconds...

"**HUFFLEPUFF." **The students in the yellow table clapped and the girl went to that table happily.

" Bones Susan." Sally-Anne had forgotten her friend. The redhead walked in trembling legs to the sorting hat. She would make sure to talk to her again.

"**HUFFLEPUFF."** She joined Hannah at the yellow table.

"Brocklehurst Mandy."

"**RAVENCLAW."**

"Boot Terry."

"**RAVENCLAW."**

**"**Brown Lavender."

**"GRYFFINDOR." T**he red table was quite loud in its cheering.

"Bulstrode Millicent."

"**SLYTHERIN." T**he greens looked especially cool and emotionless, clapping politely for their first first year.

"Corner Michael."

"**RAVENCLAW."**

"Cornfoot Stephen."

**"RAVENCLAW."**

"Crabbe Vincent."

**"SLYTHERIN."**

"Davis Tracey." The olive skinned girl walked to the stool, doing a mostly good job of hiding her nerves.

**"SLYTHERIN**." She looked surprised at that. The look turned to slight disgust when she sat next to Crabbe, and she promptly moved farther away.

"Dunbar Fay."

**"GRYFFINDOR."** Aargh. Do they have to be so loud.

"Enstwhistle Kevin."

**"RAVENCLAW."**

Sometimes, the hat took quite sometime, while others it was instant, Sally noticed.

"Finch-Fletchly Justin."

**"HUFFLEPUFF."**

"Finnigan Seamus."

**"GRYFFINDOR.**" He took nearly a minute.

"Granger Hermione." The girl literally ran to the stool and jammed the hat to her head. She was either deaf to the laughs she received or didn't care.

**"GRYFFINDOR."** She similarly ran to the table. The members didn't seem embarrassed by this overeager first year.

"Greengrass Daphne." The cold girl, likely a pureblood gracefully drifted to the sorting hat confidently, her face cold and distant.

**"SLYTHERIN.**" The sorting hat was on her head for about 3 seconds. She similarly went to her table, nodding at Davis and Bulstrode, ignoring Crabbe.

"Goyle Gregory."

**"SLYTHERIN." **

One thing Sally-Anne noticed, was that the Gryffindors were clapped for by others not counting the Slytherins. Same as for other houses except Slytherin, though not as loud. The Slytherins in green were the only ones who clapped for their first years. The Gryffindors even booed at them. Yes, it was apparent who the school's sweethearts were.

"Hopkins Wayne."

**"HUFFLEPUFF."**

" Li Sue."

**"RAVENCLAW."**

"Longbottom Neville." The pudgy boy stumbled to the stool and fell on the way, earning many laughs. Sally-Anne winced in sympathy. His sorting took quite sometime and her seemed to be shaking his head and mouthing words.

**"GRYFFINDOR."** Sally-Anne could respect the fact that the hat seemed to think he was brave. Or could be. He seemed happy, and ran off to the table before taking off the hat. He returned it to the next student, red in the face.

"MacDougall Isobel."

**"RAVENCLAW."**

"MacMillan Ernest."

**"HUFFLEPUFF."**

"Malfoy Draco." The blond who fought with Harry and Ron on the train practically swaggered to the stool like a peacock.

**"SLYTHERIN.**" The hat barely touched his slicked back hair, like it would be a crime if he were anywhere else. He walked to the table with a self satisfied smirk. Sally looked for cunning and ambition in the boy and utterly failed to find it.

"Moon Lily." This girl looked about as serious minded as the Slytherins.

**"HUFFLEPUFF."** That one slightly bemused at the house choice but smiled as she went to her table.

"Nott Theodore." The tall reedy looking kid walked calmly, looking bored.

**"SLYTHERIN."** Que the boos and hisses from the red table. Nott gave the table a bored look as he passed, like, you urchins are boring me.

"Parkinson Pansy."

**"SLYTHERIN."**

At the Ps. Sally-Anne steeled herself.

"Patil Padma."

**"RAVENCLAW."**

"Patil Parvati." She was identical in everyway to her sibling.

**"GRYFFINDOR."** Well, that showed that even identical twins can be different in personality.

"Perks Sally-Anne."

The girl raised her chin slightly and schooled her expression to stone, revealling nothing and glided to the sorting hat. Her heart pounded as she moved there. She sat on the stool gracefully, even crossing her legs and her back ramrod straight. McGonagall placed the hat on her head and immediately...

"Hhmm, very smart and intelligent, observant. But also ambitious and brave. Quite the conundrum."

Sally-Anne resisted the urge to throw the hat from her head as she realised it was speaking in her mind.

"Of course I'm in your mind. This conversation stays between us."

"Good. In retrospect, i guess that much was obvious from the previous sortings."

"Clever girl. Now lets get this over with. Gryffindor is obviously out as you are only brave when you deem it necessary, and chilvalrous to few." The hat said.

"Those qualities are useless to me." She replied.

"That much is obvious. You have the hardwork for Hufflepuff to achieve your goals, but your too cold for it. Helga would be rolling in her grave if you were sorted there. It would be quite the crime."

"You mean to say that Hufflepuffs are happiness oriented?" She asked curiously.

"Yes of course. Kindness is a major trait there. You have the intelligence for Ravenclaw, but where you really belong is in Slytherin." The hat practically purred.

"How can i be in Slytherin when i am a muggleborn? It was said that he didn't want the unworthy ones of muggle birth in Hogwarts. He most certainly wouldn't want one in his house. He would as you say, be rolling in his grave. I would be better suited for Ravenclaw."

"Misconceptions and flawed history." The hat said dismissively. "The man had his reasons. But blood wouldn't be a factor in his sorting. He would be practically begging for you with cunning and ambition like that."

Sally-Anne considered. Yes, history got warped with time, and it was 1000 years ago and she knew from her reading that purebloods ended up in other houses. But it didn't stop the fact that most purist families went to that house and would be out for her blood. The crimes committed by the Dark Lord's followers finishing Slytherin's noble work made her shiver in fear.

"You an intelligent girl. Getting correct facts from the little information from the books. But Slytherin is the safest house. And not all of them are prejudiced, just the loud ones and it would be idiotic to put them anywhere else. I assure you Ms Perks, you will make your friends and be great in the house of the ambitious."

"You cannot guarantee that fact. It states in the Hogwarts history book that muggleborns are not allowed. And i refuse to be in a house with dangerous bigots."

"Like i said Ms Perks, misconceptions nobody's bothered to fix. Slytherin has the safest dorms. I assure you, it is the best house for you." The hat sounded quite exasperated. Sally's lips thinned. If she made the wrong decision, factors she neither knows nor can control would hinder her. It was a 1000 year old magical artifact. She took a deep breath. She hoped she didn't regret this.

"Alright, put me in Slytherin. But if i find you decision unsatisfactory by the end of the year, i will burn you in front of everyone." She stated with resolve in her mind. And she would. Sally-Anne Perks was not one to jock of her safety.

"Good choice little one. The sorting hat is never wrong. You will not regret your decision. **SLYTHERIN."** The last word was bellowed to the great hall.

McGonagall looked surprised, and faintly scared. Maybe for her. She realised that her sorting was the longest so far, maybe two and a half minutes. The Slytherins clapped for her, looking calculating. The Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws looked at her in faint distrust and fear. The Gryffindors booed and hissed and glared probably at the long wait for a Slytherin.

Some idiot had the temerity to call her "old lady of Slytherin" causing snickers to erupt all over the red table. That would not do. Insulting her grey hair was unacceptable in her book.

She stood up, sneered at the Gryffindors in disgust. It was probably because of her annoyance with the hat that she let them bother her. Honestly, she knew she would never like this house, and they have the audacity to insult her. They now looked both surprised and outraged while the Slytherins looked surprised and pleased. She walked to her now house table, schooling her expression quickly. It would not do to look undignified.

She sat down next to Davis. She observed her housemates who observed her back testing her. She taised a blonde eyebrow and turned her head to the front to the sorting. The next name took all the attention from her in one fell swoop.

"Potter Harry."

The boy walked to the hat nervously, looking for all his heroism like he was going to pee himself. He sat down unsteadily and McGonagall put the hat on him. It fell to cover his nose.

It took a bit of time with Harry too. He seemed to by mouthing words. Sally-Anne focused on his lips, what she read there nearly made her snort in derision. He was mouthing 'not slytherin, not slytherin' over and over again like a mantra. Well it looked like it worked.

**"GRYFFINDOR."**

He looked relieved at the hats decision. He stumbled to the Gryffindors, who were cheering like mad hatters given colourful sugary sweets and sat there with a smile. Sally-Anne agreed with the hat that she would never fit in there. Too loud, with no liberal use of brains

The sorting continued.

"Roper Sophie."

**"GRYFFINDOR."**

"Smith Zacharias."

**"HUFFLEPUFF."** This ones swaggering could rival Malfoy's.

"Thomas Dean."

**"GRYFFINDOR"**

"Turpin Lisa."

**"RAVENCLAW."**

"Weasley Ronald."

**"GRYFFINDOR.**" The boy looked green from the sorting and _still _had the dirt mark on his nose. Uncultured ignoramus. He sat next to Potter and they started talking exitedly.

"Zabini Blaise." The dark skinned Italian looking boy was the last to be sorted. He took the average amount of time.

**"SLYTHERIN."**

He came and sat next to her and smiled.

Now, her journey begins. She really hopes for her and the sorting hats sakes that she made the right decision.


End file.
